Help! Burn or Parasites?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...36377b7d4b.jpg

Cleaned tank this morning and saw this. Need some help diagnosing.

Thanks!


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Looks a bit like a tear off a sharp edge or something , can't be a rodent bite could it ?

I only feed FT... never live. I have a radiant heat panel mounted to the ceiling of the enclosure. Maybe one of the screws??


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Originally Posted by Ldag32

I only feed FT... never live. I have a radiant heat panel mounted to the ceiling of the enclosure. Maybe one of the screws??


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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b17caf02b1.jpg



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Originally Posted by Ldag32

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b17caf02b1.jpg



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Or maybe a sharp edge ... guess it's unlikely but not impossible

Looks to me like your Ball got up onto the brim of that and got caught between the threads of that exposed bolt and the metal... Strange design. Ive never seen a RHP that looks like that. I thought it was a Florescent light fixture. If I were you id sell that to someone that has a reptile that doesn't climb and grab a $90 Pro Panel from Bob. They are flat as a pancake without spots to get up onto. If thats not a option then somehow get very tiny rabbit fence wire that the snake cant fit his head thew and cover that RHP so the snake cant get up onto it.

Is there I should do for that or it will heal on its own??


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Originally Posted by Ldag32

Is there I should do for that or it will heal on its own??


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You need Neosporin without Pain Relief. Reptiles & Amphibians cant have Pain Reliever, its toxic to their system.
Also if you use some screening/rabbit fencing over the RHP make sure to Silicone the edges of the screen flat to ceiling around the RHP because the trimed edge of a screen/rabbit fence can be sharp as a razor also.

Ldag32, your heat panel is mounted upside down. No need to buy another one.

Once you flip it over there won't be any exposed threads to cut your snake.

Reinz the Hot side is the side you see. It's not upside down. Thx though


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Sure that is the hottest side, if it wasn't for the silicone you would be looking at the inards.

Plus, it wouldn't be made to expose threads like that. That mount makes no sense at all.

While Neosporin is ok for a day or so, I would recommend Vetericyn for long-term wound care on a reptile. It's a water-based gel antiseptic so it doesn't cause scale sloughing like the petroleum-based ointments can.

I also think the RHP may be mounted upside down; both sides get quite hot. Can you take it out and take pictures of both sides for us?

I agree, it looks like an RHP from boaphile installed upside down. On their website the pictures don't make it clear which side is up or down and they don't have any pictures of it installed in a cage. OP did the panel come with installation instructions if you bought it new?


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Lol all you beat me to it. That RHP is mounted upside down. No RHP will ever mount with that much exposed screw in it. Plus the 'gummy' part is supposed to be facing the cage roof. The ABS part faces the cage floor.

And to answer your question, I would put a dab of Neosporin with no pain killer on it with a Q-Tip one time and then just let it heal. I would also put the snake on paper towels to keep it clean until it heals and he sheds it out.

And this is why I don't use RHPs!!! Flexwatt all the way!!!.....actually I don't use RHPs because my room temp is around 80F so RHPs do nothing for me lol.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Lol all you beat me to it. That RHP is mounted upside down. No RHP will ever mount with that much exposed screw in it. Plus the 'gummy' part is supposed to be facing the cage roof. The ABS part faces the cage floor.

And to answer your question, I would put a dab of Neosporin with no pain killer on it with a Q-Tip one time and then just let it heal. I would also put the snake on paper towels to keep it clean until it heals and he sheds it out.

And this is why I don't use RHPs!!! Flexwatt all the way!!!.....actually I don't use RHPs because my room temp is around 80F so RHPs do nothing for me lol.

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Everything you said was great until the RHP opinion Sauzo hahhha.. If you buy a RHP from a "Top Of The Line" manufacturer like Pro Products you don't have to guess how to install it or worry about a exposed threaded bolt :D

I don't think it is mounted the wrong way. Those do mount that way, or at least that is how the company tells you to do it :

http://helixcontrols.com/?page_id=48

But I agree, that is really not a good way at all. Of course an animal will try to squeeze up in there and the threads of the screws can be SHARP.

I would try to wedge something around the screws, perhaps like the stuff you insulate pipes with ? Just wide enough that there is not gap between screw and the edge of the housing. Don't use tape for anything though.

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Originally Posted by zina10

I don't think it is mounted the wrong way. Those do mount that way, or at least that is how the company tells you to do it :

http://helixcontrols.com/?page_id=48

But I agree, that is really not a good way at all. Of course an animal will try to squeeze up in there and the threads of the screws can be SHARP.

I would try to wedge something around the screws, perhaps like the stuff you insulate pipes with ? Just wide enough that there is not gap between screw and the edge of the housing. Don't use tape for anything though.

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Wow you found a pic! What a terrible design. Why would they ever make it so it had a ledge like that... Even the sheetmetal they used looks like it has sharp edges and corners... PRO PRODUCTS & REPTILE BASICS are specifically smooth and designed without any ledge or way for a snake to crawl up into them.. Thats crazy, my balls would be all cut up, all mine do is climb.

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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

Wow you found a pic! What a terrible design. Why would they ever make it so it had a ledge like that... Even the sheetmetal they used looks like it has sharp edges and corners... PRO PRODUCTS & REPTILE BASICS are specifically smooth and designed without any ledge or way for a snake to crawl up into them.. Thats crazy, my balls would be all cut up, all mine do is climb.

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I know, right !!!

Do you have any ideas what to put around the screw to fill in the gap ? I was thinking "pool noodle" design, slicing it open and putting it around the screw.
Only of course it needs to be smaller in diameter. Is there something like that "bendable foam noodly design" that is not as big around ? Perhaps something that insulates cables or small pipes?

These exposed screws are crazy. Esp. when a snake squeezes itself in between the screw and the housing.

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Originally Posted by zina10

I know, right !!!

Do you have any ideas what to put around the screw to fill in the gap ? I was thinking "pool noodle" design, slicing it open and putting it around the screw.
Only of course it needs to be smaller in diameter. Is there something like that "bendable foam noodly design" that is not as big around ? Perhaps something that insulates cables or small pipes?

These exposed screws are crazy. Esp. when a snake squeezes itself in between the screw and the housing.

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Well the other problem is even if the screw threads arent sharp or covered the snake will go up there again and there is a chance to get cut on the egde/corners of that also... I suggested in the first few replies to cover the whole RHP like people do a interior heat lamp. Get a close knit rabbit/chicken fencing or metal screening over the RHP so the snake cant get to any part of it period.

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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

Well the other problem is even if the screw threads arent sharp or covered the snake will go up there again and there is a chance to get cut on the egde/corners of that also... I suggested in the first few replies to cover the whole RHP like people do a interior heat lamp. Get a close knit rabbit/chicken fencing or metal screening over the RHP so the snake cant get to any part of it period.

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But won't that possibly mess up the heating ? Given that they are "radiant" heat panels and the heat radiates off what it hits ? So if the grid is small enough for the snake not to get through it, won't it be dense enough to have a lot of the heat bounce off of it and back up ?

Granted, I have NO idea. I'm just wondering..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

Wow you found a pic! What a terrible design. Why would they ever make it so it had a ledge like that... Even the sheetmetal they used looks like it has sharp edges and corners... PRO PRODUCTS & REPTILE BASICS are specifically smooth and designed without any ledge or way for a snake to crawl up into them.. Thats crazy, my balls would be all cut up, all mine do is climb.

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The engineer in me agrees. That's a vet bill or even a dead snake - if it gets its head wedged in there the wrong way - waiting to happen.

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Originally Posted by zina10

But won't that possibly mess up the heating ? Given that they are "radiant" heat panels and the heat radiates off what it hits ? So if the grid is small enough for the snake not to get through it, won't it be dense enough to have a lot of the heat bounce off of it and back up ?

Granted, I have NO idea. I'm just wondering..

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You would think what your saying would be so but i have RHP's ontop of my 40G long bolted to the Screen Frame and the screen amd frame is cool as a Cucumber. I think it has to do with the fact RHP's dont heat by touching. I also don't understand it but I know screens dont get hot if you cover the RHP with them... Weird Science :)

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Originally Posted by bcr229

The engineer in me agrees. That's a vet bill or even a dead snake - if it gets its head wedged in there the wrong way - waiting to happen.

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Id get rid of that ASAP...I understand sometimes situations dont allow is to buy things right away but that looks so bad to me I wouldnt even want to try and put anything around it to keep the snake from getting to it when you can get a good panel shipped for $100 or less...

LDag32, take a moist papertowl and run it up and down and all around EACH of the screws. The way the wound looks, whatever it was rubbed off on, should have some scales/tissue left on it.

If you find some dried up blood or crusty stuff around one of the screws, there is your answer !

Even if you don't, that design is just bad news. I would get rid of that, or modify it to make it safe.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

Everything you said was great until the RHP opinion Sauzo hahhha.. If you buy a RHP from a "Top Of The Line" manufacturer like Pro Products you don't have to guess how to install it or worry about a exposed threaded bolt :D

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I have a Pro Products RHP. Had it for over 4 years now and it still works. PH3 model. I have it in my Pro-Line cage but like I said, I keep my house pretty warm so the RHP almost never turns on unless I set my cool side temp to like 85 or 86 which is way too hot for my BP and she goes bananas at spends the whole time trying to get out lol.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zina10

I don't think it is mounted the wrong way. Those do mount that way, or at least that is how the company tells you to do it :

http://helixcontrols.com/?page_id=48

But I agree, that is really not a good way at all. Of course an animal will try to squeeze up in there and the threads of the screws can be SHARP.

I would try to wedge something around the screws, perhaps like the stuff you insulate pipes with ? Just wide enough that there is not gap between screw and the edge of the housing. Don't use tape for anything though.

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Woah!!!! What kind of hokey backwater set up is that!!?? I I guess I eat my words but that is one stupid set up for a RHP lol. Well since the screws are supposed to be exposed like that, I would personally try something like electrical shrink wrap like for connectors. You will have to remove the bolts to slid the shrink wrap on but once you hit it with a lighter or little butane torch, those threads wont be exposed anymore.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

Wow you found a pic! What a terrible design. Why would they ever make it so it had a ledge like that... Even the sheetmetal they used looks like it has sharp edges and corners... PRO PRODUCTS & REPTILE BASICS are specifically smooth and designed without any ledge or way for a snake to crawl up into them.. Thats crazy, my balls would be all cut up, all mine do is climb.

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My guess is its more designed for birds than reptiles. Its just like before they used RHPs for reptile heating, they were used under wood floors in houses and stuff to keep the floors warm.

Could you put something along those lines around the screws ?

You could either take the panel off and slide a length of something like this over the screws, or you could slice it lengthwise and wrap it around the screws..

If you could find something that was just wide enough so that there is no more gap between the screw and the housing, the snake couldn't squeeze in between at all, and also not get cut up because its smooth..

http://www.dudadiesel.com/choose_ite...FUe5wAodeDsH1w

https://www.lowes.com/pl/Pipe-insula...ing/4294765361

I was thinking more along the lines of this stuff.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/IDEAL-25-4m...bing/999959305

But yeah the snake could still try and squeeze in between the bolts and RHP.

I would want to make sure that not only the sharpness is taken care off, but that gap. Even if the snake doesn't get cut up, it can get stuck :(

This is a really bad design !

If you closely look at this photo you can see that the cage did Not allow enough room for that RHP to be mounted correctly. That bump in the ceiling is too small so they just flipped it over to make it fit.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d99d92c188.jpg

Also plastic ears were glued on at the top middle to use L brackets. If you look at the other photo below you will see that those heat panels do not come with those "ears" attached.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...566452ab3e.jpg

Heat wise, maybe (?) it doesn't matter after all, heat is heat and the exposed area is insulated.

However, the bolts need to go through some custom wood or plastic spacers that fill that gap to prevent the snake from getting stuck. The obvious reason the snake got cut was because shoulder bolts weren't used. I'm not saying that shoulder bolts should have been used, just that they would have been better than exposed threads.

That panel was mounted by someone with a Redneck Engineering degree.

Just because the company showed a very flawed way to mount their own RHP does not make it right.

Just because they make the product doesn't mean that they themselves use the product.

Gotta use some common sense here.